NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i Bus added nearly 1,000 weekly rides after the County Council approved extra funding to allow services to run later at night and on Sundays, Transportation Executive Celia Mahikoa said. “We want to encourage more people to
NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i Bus added nearly 1,000 weekly rides after the County Council approved extra funding to allow services to run later at night and on Sundays, Transportation Executive Celia Mahikoa said.
“We want to encourage more people to use the public transit system,” she told council members Thursday while presenting the agency’s $5.5 million proposed budget for next fiscal year.
The council in January approved a $575,000 appropriation from the General Fund to pay for the expansion. On Feb. 14 the bus started to roll on Sundays until past 5 p.m., and until past 10 p.m. on weekdays.
The result, Mahikoa said, was an increase of 5,985 rides in the first six weeks of the expansion. Sunday services provided for 2,897 new trips and extended-evening services provided for 3,088 new trips.
Besides the additional ridership with the services expansion, the increase in ridership in regular services has been steady over the past year.
In March the fixed-route ridership was 51,894 trips — up 12,897 trips, or 33 percent, from March 2010. Paratransit ridership increased to 6,129 trips last month, compared to 5,866 in March 2010.
Mahikoa said many factors, including the expansion, contributed to the rise. Based on a 25 percent bump in ridership in 2008 when fuel prices rose significantly, the current rise in ridership is similarly being attributed to another spike in the cost of gas.
The head of the agency said riders often try the bus for the first time due to financial reasons, but continue to utilize the service after finding the experience satisfactory.
Park & Ride facilities offer bus riders a place to leave their car for the day.
“In addition to the service expansion … we have the Park & Ride lot improvement that we accomplished in Kalaheo last year,” said Mahikoa, adding that the Transportation Agency worked in collaboration with Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments as well as the Office of the County Attorney.
Mahikoa said there are five Park & Ride locations, including Kapa‘a Town Park, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, Hanapepe Multipurpose Building, Waimea Athletic Field and Kekaha Tennis Courts. In the next few months a new location by the Kilauea miniature golf course should be operational.
Federal funding fluctuating
The agency’s proposed operating budget for FY12 is $5.55 million, up from $4.6 million in FY11.
Chair Jay Furfaro said President Barack Obama has recently announced that over the next six years he’ll try to cut $4 trillion from the federal budget.
“I can almost see transportation as being the line item,” he said.
In 2003 the bus collected roughly $150,000 in revenues. Revenues have increased steadily every year since. In the current fiscal year, ending June 30, the agency is projecting $690,000 in revenues. For Fiscal Year 2012, starting July 1, the agency is projecting $750,000 in revenues, according to Mahikoa.
Some of the successes of the bus expansion, she said, has caused some challenges, such as scheduling of drivers and dispatchers.
The bus stop improvement contract — ongoing for the past two years — also represented a challenge, Mahikoa said.
“The contractor was unable to get the necessary supplies in order to complete the job,” said Mahikoa, adding that the agency has been holding weekly meetings to stay current with the project’s status.
She said the contract will recommence May 1, giving the contract a completion date of June 6. “We’re hoping that he’s able to pull together the required materials by that time.”
Mahikoa said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawai‘i, has communicated to the agency that special earmarked federal funds won’t be available for the next two years. Those funds account for 80 percent of the cost of the buses.
But Mahikoa said thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant last year that provided eight additional vehicles, the agency still has $800,000 in funds to purchase additional buses in FY12.
Additionally, the agency is scheduled to receive $925,000 from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase nine vehicles. The State of Good Repair initiative will provide 80 percent of the cost of vehicle replacements for FY13.
“Beyond that we are hoping that the earmarks will come back in, otherwise we are going to need to be looking for alternative sources for funding,” she said. “Meanwhile we are also keeping our eyes open for other sources that could provide funds for vehicle replacement.”
Hybrid bus
The first hybrid bus arrived on Kaua‘i a year ago. The hybrid runs on an energy recovery system, in which a diesel-fueled engine recharges an electric battery.
Hailed as an environmental prop, the hybrid bus proved to be just that. Former Transportation Executive Janine Rapozo said in October that the bus was saving the county only one-to-two miles per gallon. A regular bus runs eight-to-nine miles per gallon.
The hybrid bus cost $250,000, nearly double the price tag of a diesel-fueled bus, Rapozo said. However, federal grants covered 80 percent of the cost; the remaining was picked up by the county.
Mahikoa said the best fuel efficiency in hybrid vehicles is in “stop-and-go” traffic.
“Any futures investment in hybrid vehicles will be for any smaller vehicles that are used in Lihu‘e,” she said.
The proposed budget includes a three-year leasing of a small hybrid bus, costing the county $60,000.
Go to www.kauai.gov/Transportation for more information on fares and scheduling.
